Battling Hearts
by Marvelguy00
Summary: When Catra gets banished on Beast Island as a punishment for lying to Hordak, Adora decides to team up with her old mentor, Shadow Weaver, to save her. Meanwhile, thanks to Entrapta working by his side, Hordak is closer than ever to the realization of his ultimate plan... creating a portal to Eternia. (Follows the events of the second season.)
1. Chapter 1: Banished

**BATTLING HEARTS**

**CHAPTER I: BANISHED **

Darkness, that's all Catra remembered after Hordak discovered about Shadow Weaver's escape and… decided to punish her. It was all a test, he wanted to see if she would have had the courage to take responsibility for her actions, for her mistakes… and she failed.

Catra remembered the panic she felt as she couldn't breathe anymore, as Hordak marched towards her, his face becoming blurred, his words muffled, until there was nothing left but darkness. A million thoughts travelled through her mind as she drifted away into unconsciousness. She thought about Shadow Weaver's lies, her oddly kind words, her hand softly caressing her cheek.

Catra had to bite back her tears, she couldn't believe she trusted her, the same woman that constantly berated her during all of her life, who told her she would never amount to anything, that she was alive only because Adora liked her, as if she was nothing more than a pet.

But the thing that hurt her more was that even after that, even after all the things Shadow Weaver did to her, she still longed for her approval, for the same kind of love she gave to Adora. When that witch showed her even the tiniest bit of it, all the rage she felt towards her, vanished completely. Catra hated that, she hated how weak she had been, how in the end Shadow Weaver still managed to manipulate her.

She thought about Scorpia. Annoying, overexcited, loud, clingy Scorpia. Only now she realized that she wouldn't have had her any other way. Her constant tries to make her open up always made her scoff, Catra wasn't one to open up and talk about her feelings, about what was bothering her, scaring her. And yet, Scorpia kept trying and trying and that day, when she destroyed Entrapta's disk even though she told her not to, to save her, that day she understood that Scorpia was a true friend. It was… hard to believe that she grew to consider the unbearable princess as such, and she would have probably never even revealed that to her. Still, that's how deep down she felt towards her.

The moment before everything went black, before all vanished into nothingness, Catra thought about Adora. The girl who she spent her whole life with, the only person who ever showed her affection, who made her feel loved. The person who promised that after a short trip into the woods, she would have come back. The girl who broke her promise, who abandoned her, who chose a bunch of strangers over her. How she hated that Adora would be her last thought, and yet, even after all she did to her, and after all what Catra did to her, every venomous word, every threat, every wound… deep down… she felt longing.

All the people who ever mattered to her, abandoned her in the end. She would die alone, and she couldn't do anything to prevent it.

'Beg him to spare you! Say that you'll do anything! Say something!' Catra thought, but words failed her. She couldn't speak and before she knew it, everything went black.

Meanwhile, at Bright Moon Castle:

Adora opened her eyes slowly. Something she would never miss about the Horde was getting up early. Always… so… damn… early. The blonde girl yawned, as a smile grew on her face. Another quiet morning at Bright Moon Castle. She prayed it would be like that for as many days as possible, but she knew that eventually, fate would have brought the Horde right outside the castle's doors.

It was only a matter of time before that happened, before she had to face Catra again. Catra… if only that day she would have followed her instead of staying with the Horde. But it seems their destiny had something else planned for them. She only hoped that one day she'd manage to break through Catra's walls, to understand her true reasons and maybe, just maybe… no… it was a vane hope, and yet she couldn't bare to let that faint glimmer of light go. She couldn't let Catra go. She couldn't forget the life she spent with her.

Adora sighed heavily before sitting up on her bed and stretching her limbs. It had been a strange night. During her sleep, there had been a moment in which she felt as something, or someone, was staring at her, but she brushed it off. Maybe it was just a bad dream. She stood up and turned towards her room's balcony. She liked to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin as soon as she woke up… and it was in that very moment… that Adora froze. Suddenly, she realized what she felt during the night wasn't simply a bad dream. A red, cloaked figure was leaning on the parapet of her room's balcony.

"You'd never sleep this much when you were a Horde's soldier, your time with the rebellion has softened you."

Shadow Weaver was standing right in front of her and Adora didn't know what to do. She could run, get Bow and Glimmer, or she could attack her. Her hair weren't swaying in the air like a black flame as she remembered and her mask was cracked. She didn't… she didn't look so good. Maybe something happened and now she didn't have her powers anymore. Adora should have felt relieved about that, it meant her enemy wasn't as strong as before, that she could beat her easily!

And yet… Adora felt a strange pang in her chest. Why… why was this making her feel bad? Why would she ever feel bad about Shadow Weaver not being okay? She hurt Glimmer, she tried to erase her memory, to hurt all the people in Mystacor… she hurt Catra, so many many times. Adora shook her head, she didn't have time for feeling bad. She quickly scanned her room for her sword, but soon, she realized it was nowhere to be found. Her eyes widened as she saw Shadow Weaver pulling it out from behind her.

"It all happened because of this." Shadow Weaver hissed. "If you had never found this damned sword, you would have stayed with me, you would have become so powerful… together we would have overthrown Hordak and ruled over the Horde… over all of Etheria… as mother and daughter."

"You've never been a mother to me… I understood what a mother really is by staying here." Adora said, taking a step back as Shadow Weaver started to approach her.

"Are you talking about Angella? Please, that sorry excuse for a queen has ruined her daughter beyond repair. Princess Glimmer is weak, incapable of doing even the simplest task without you or that idiotic boy." Shadow Weaver cackled darkly.

"You don't know anything about Glimmer and Bow! They'd risk their lives to save me, to protect me, and I'd do the same! That's what love is. You would never understand, all you desire is power, and you would trade me immediately if it meant for you to have more of it!" Adora yelled back.

The girl kept walking backwards, as Shadow Weaver kept coming closer and closer. Adora felt her back hit her room's wall and immediately assumed a fighting stance, ready for anything that old witch would throw at her. Well, almost anything. What Adora would never expect, was Shadow Weaver handing her her sword.

"Are you sure of it?" Shadow Weaver asked in hushed tone of voice.

"What are you doing?" Adora asked, puzzled.

"Helping-" Shadow Weaver was going to answer but before she could, Adora's bedroom door burst open.

"Adora!"

Adora turned towards who shouted her name and saw and ball of purplish light fly right past her. It hit Shadow Weaver right in the head, she wasn't prepared to defend herself, she was weak, tired and with a strangled scream, she fell to the ground… unconscious.

"Oh my gosh! Adora!" Glimmer ran towards her and embraced her tightly.

"Glimmer…" Adora whispered, still shocked.

"What did that…" Glimmer paused, pulled away from Adora and gave the unconscious witch a poisonous glare "that witch do to you?"

"Nothing… nothing. She wasn't here to fight… she was going to hand me my sword." Adora held her forehead, trying to process all what happened, trying to understand why Shadow Weaver had shown up in her bedroom.

"It must have been a trick! Guards!" Glimmer called, and after a few moments, two guards entered Adora's room. "Take this witch to the dungeon… where she belongs."

"I don't know Glimmer… I don't think she was trying to trick me or… hurt me." Adora said.

"Oh no, do not even dare to-" Glimmer began but was interrupted.

"I'm going to speak to her, as soon as she wakes up." Adora said, her voice wavering, she wasn't so sure herself about this, and yet, something made her feel like if she didn't talk soon to Shadow Weaver, she would have regretted it… bitterly.

"We can't trust her Adora! She could have… she could have cut your throat!" Glimmer yelled angrily.

"But she didn't!" Adora yelled back, she regretted it immediately as she saw a pained expression appear on Glimmer's face. The blonde girl sighed heavily before placing both of her hands on Glimmer's shoulders. "I know that you think I might be impartial about this, that Shadow Weaver still has some influence on me after she… after she raised me, but you must trust me on this, okay?"

Glimmer's expression remained doubtful. Adora could see she was scared, angry and still bitter towards Shadow Weaver, and she couldn't really blame her, yet, she hoped Glimmer would understand. Thanks to the stars, she did.

"Okay, I'll trust you." Glimmer answered finally.

"Thank you." Adora said as a smile grew on her face.

"But if she hurts you, or my mom, or Bow, or anyone else, I won't simply throw glitters at her." Glimmer's tone sent a chill down Adora's spine.

"I know." Adora said, before Glimmer exhaled a sigh of relief and hugged her again.

Meanwhile, in the Fright Zone:

As soon as Catra opened her eyes, she sat up quickly, checking herself for any injuries. She was breathing, which was a good sign, her vision was clear, and she wasn't in any pain. She remembered Hordak pulling a lever, Etheria's atmosphere disappearing, she remembered how she was suffocating and yet… she was still alive. But the sensation of relief that washed over Catra as she realized she was still alive, died almost immediately as she noticed the bright green, semi-transparent wall that blocked her inside of a small room. The realization hit her almost immediately, she was being held in a cell. A million thoughts started to travel through her head: why was she here? Why didn't Hordak kill her? Was his plan to make her rot in here?

But Catra's train of thoughts was interrupted as she felt a presence on the other side of the green wall.

"H-hi Catra." She recognized the quivering voice almost immediately, it was Kyle's.

"Kyle… what am I doing here? Why am I in a cell?!" Catra asked in hardened voice. When he didn't respond, she yelled at him. "Kyle! Answer me!"

"Catra… I… I'm sorry." Kyle answered, a pained expression was adorning his face.

"Sorry for what?" Catra asked, she hated not knowing things, especially things that regarded her.

"You're being banished…"

"W-what?!"

"You're being banished to Beast Island." Kyle said, his voice trembling.

"No… no no no no! Kyle please, you have to let me out of here!" Catra said, standing up and reaching the cell's door.

"I'm sorry." Kyle hanged his head low, as two guards came towards her, stun guns in hand.

"Don't make this difficult kitten." A harsh voice came from behind the two men, who immediately stepped aside.

"Octavia…" Catra growled her name.

"On the other side… please, make this difficult, so I'll have an excuse to beat you up." Octavia snickered darkly.

"It'll be hard to hit me with just one eye." Catra retorted, a devilish grin on her face.

Octavia's smug smile immediately vanished, replaced by an enraged expression. "Open the cell."

"B-but-" Kyle tried to speak but immediately shut up as Octavia grabbed him by the collar of his uniform.

"NOW!" Octavia screamed.

Kyle obeyed, tapped a few buttons and the cell's bright green door vanished.

"I'm going to enjoy this… oh, before you get devoured by some monster, I want you to know that now I'm second in command, and I'll be a better commander than you could ever be, you worthless-" Octavia didn't get to finish that sentence, Catra pounced on her and planted her claws in her right cheek, before pulling down with all the strength she had.

Octavia howled in pain, Catra tried to run past her but one of the guards hit her with a stun gun, making her fall to the ground.

"Hold her." Octavia hissed, blood dripping from her cheek.

"That's going to leave a reaaaaaly nasty mark." Catra chuckled as the two guards raised her from the ground.

"Commander Octavia, L-Lord Hordak asked for Catra to be put on the next ship for Beast Island. I-if you wait you're going to lose it." Kyle tried to make her desist from what she was going to do, but Octavia didn't listen.

"I'll just take a minute." Octavia said, before turning towards Catra and sending a punch right to her stomach.

Catra let out a strangled scream as the air was knocked out of her. The next punch hit her in her cheek, the third hit her in the nose. She felt blood dripping down to her chin. Octavia grabbed her mane and made her look into her eye.

"No more remarks?"

"You still have a dumb face."

The fourth punch knocked her out.

**So, I know you might be familiar with the title of this story, that is because it's the title from one of my old fanfics. I started that fanfiction without really having a story in mind, that's why I never continued it. Now, I have a whole story figured out, so don't worry, I'll keep writing this until it's finished, obviously, if you want me to. Tell me what you think about this first chapter in the comments, tell me if I should continue and well, see you in the next chapter! Marvel out.**


	2. Chapter 2: Friends To The End

**CHAPTER II: FRIENDS TO THE END**

Scorpia was starting to freak out. She barged into Catra's room, calling her name, but she was nowhere to be found. She had tried looking for her everywhere. She wasn't in any of the training rooms, not in the cafeteria, not even in her own room. She would have known if Catra had left for a mission, because usually Scorpia would follow her on those as a key member of her team, and obviously as her best friend. It worried her how Catra had suddenly disappeared, without telling her. Well, without telling anyone really, since when she asked Entrapta if she knew where Catra could have gone, the mad scientist simply shrugged, saying the angry feline was probably yelling at some of her subordinates like she usually was.

"No! I checked for her everywhere, I know that she usually spends her afternoons yelling at Lonnie, Kyle and Rogelio but she wasn't in any of the training rooms! Actually… I haven't seen Lonnie either this afternoon…" Scorpia said, sounding suspicious, as Entrapta lowered her visor.

"That is rather strange… Catra enjoys shouting at her subordinates… maybe she went to Hordak?" Entrapta wondered.

"That's not possible, when she goes to him it's only for a brief period of time, she's been gone for hours Entrapta, hours!" Scorpia yelled in panic.

"I could send Emily to look for her, would that be helpful?" Entrapta asked.

"Yes, that would really help me, I'll keep searching." Scorpia hugged her briefly but tightly, as she always did, "Thank you, you're a true friend."

"Thanks." Entrapta chuckled nervously, blushing slightly.

Scorpia decided to keep looking at least for another hour, before going to Hordak. He couldn't remain unaware of the current situation. His second in command went missing! But Catra must have been somewhere. She had to be, at least, this was what Scorpia kept repeating to herself as she roamed the Fright Zone's corridors. Maybe Catra just got scared by a mouse and hid in one of the air vents. She hadn't checked on those! But just as Scorpia was going to bend down and look inside of one, she felt someone bump into her.

"Ouch! O-oh! Sorry Force Captain Scorpia! I… I wasn't paying attention." Kyle stuttered.

"Kyle! Don't worry, actually, I'm pretty happy to see you right now." Scorpia turned around and placed her pincers on Kyle's shoulders.

"Oh, and w-why is that?"

"I can't find Catra anywhere! Have you seen her?" Scorpia asked, she hoped with all of her heart the skinny boy would at least know where Catra was heading before she disappeared.

"N-no… please I… I need to go now." Kyle couldn't even watch her in the eyes.

Scorpia paused, letting her pincers linger on Kyle's shoulders. She took a moment to look at the cadet. He was sweating, he held his gaze low and looked extremely uncomfortable. Something was wrong, something was very wrong and it started make her panic.

"Kyle, you have to tell me what's wrong, okay?" Scorpia asked again, worry and impatience clear in her voice.

"I… I can't tell you Scorpia…" Kyle dared to raise his eyes.

He hated how Scorpia looked right now. The force captain never looked down on him, never made a joke about him or pushed him around, she didn't deserve this. Scorpia deserved to know the truth, but Kyle knew what his orders were. He wanted to tell her with all of his heart where Catra was, but he also remembered Octavia's hand grabbing his collar, raising him from the ground, her horrible mouth coming closer to his ear and whispering 'If you're thinking about telling this to any of your friends, I suggest you to keep your mouth shut, or else I will make sure they'll get to join that fucking cat really soon.' He managed to avoid Scorpia until the very moment he bumped into her, too distracted to see her crouched down to the ground.

"What does that mean? Kyle… what happened to Catra?" Scorpia's breathing was becoming erratic, she had the worst feeling about this and she couldn't afford to lose another second trying to find out where Catra was. She had to know now. "Kyle! Where-" But as soon as she was going to lose it, a hoarse voice interrupted her.

"Don't worry midget, you can tell her, there's nothing she can do about it now." By the sound of Octavia's voice, Scorpia could tell she was pleased… she didn't like it one bit.

"Tell me what?" Scorpia looked for a moment at Octavia before turning to Kyle.

"They took her away… she has… she has been banished…" Kyle's voice was barely higher than a whisper.

"W-what do you mean? Kyle… where's Catra?" Scorpia prayed he wouldn't tell her the name of that place.

She had studied it during Force Captain orientation. There was place where those who were considered enemies or traitors by the Horde were sent. It was an island they had tried to conquer many years before, but they never managed to… because of the monsters that roamed it. Far too many and far too strong for the Horde's soldiers. The deep vegetation in which they lived didn't really help either, tactics are useless when people don't even see where they're going. It was a place of certain doom, for anyone who would be so unlucky to be sent there.

'Don't say it, don't say it, please don't say it.' Scorpia pleaded internally.

"They sent her to Beast Island." Kyle couldn't look at Scorpia anymore, the princess had removed her pincers and was now covering her mouth. Her expression was one of pure desperation, but surprisingly, it didn't stay like that for long. After a few moments, it turned into a determined one.

"I'm going to Hordak." Scorpia declared, turning around.

Octavia stood in her way.

"I don't think so." Octavia stood in the middle of the corridor, she didn't show any intentions of moving.

"Move aside, I'm a force captain, I'm allowed to see Lord Hordak if the situation requires it." Scorpia held her ground, looing straight into the monstrous woman's eye.

"Who do you think has banished her?" Octavia asked, smiling wickedly.

Scorpia opened her mouth but nothing came out… no… it couldn't be. If it was Hordak the one who made the decision to banish Catra, then… but why?

"Why would he do that? She was doing a great job as second in command!" Scorpia protested.

"Please, she lost Shadow Weaver, putting Lord Hordak and all of us in danger, and then she lied to him about it. She made a grave mistake, one of too many." Octavia took a step forwards, "I'll do a better work than she did, she was never meant to gain so much power, she didn't deserve it."

Scorpia's lips thinned, fury and indignation burned in her eyes as she stared at Octavia's grin growing wider.

"That whore is where she belongs now, among monsters." Octavia whispered.

It all happened in a single moment. Scorpia's eyes going wide and Octavia's smug grin disappearing as she noticed the force captain's gaze moving from her eye to her stun gun. Before she knew it, Scorpia had already ripped it away from her belt.

"What are you-" Octavia didn't get to finish her sentence, a bolt of green energy hit her in the chest and she fell to the ground, on her knees.

"Do you think that's enough to take me down?" Octavia chuckled, holding her chest.

"No, but I think this might do it."

Scorpia's tail moved swiftly and its stinger embedded itself into Octavia's arm. The commander grunted in pain as she tried to grab it but Scorpia had already retracted it.

"Damn... you..." Octavia stuttered angrily, before falling to the ground, unconscious.

"S-Scorpia… what did you do?!" Kyle yelled, but Scorpia didn't answer, she turned around and walked right past him. "Scorpia! Wait, where are you going?!"

"I'm going to save my best friend." Scorpia answered, not bothering to look at him.

"I'm sorry, s-she told me she would hurt my friends if I told anyone about Catra!" Kyle said, trying to keep up the pace.

"I'm not mad at you Kyle, I'm mad at Hordak. Catra's still young, she made a mistake, she shouldn't have lied but no one is perfect! Hordak should have given her a second chance but he didn't. I know how strong, smart and passionate she is, and if Hordak can't see that, that's his loss. Now I'm going to save her."

"If you do that, you'll be considered as a traitor!" Kyle said frantically.

"I don't care. I care about Catra." Scorpia said, she stopped walking though when she heard that Kyle had stopped following her. "Kyle?"

"I care about her too. I mean… I don't think she considers me her friend but… I remember how it was when Shadow Weaver was second in command. No one could make a joke, fool around a little, we were too scared. But when Catra became commander? It was like we could breath again… and I'm not going to leave her behind."

Such words, such passion, Scorpia couldn't believe they came from Kyle, but they did. The force captain smiled at the skinny boy, putting a pincer on his shoulder, and giving him a comforting squeeze.

"Then we have to leave, and we have to do it now. Octavia is going to wake up soon, and we have to be out of the Fright Zone by that time." Scorpia said, turning towards Catra's quarters entrance. "I'll talk to Entrapta, then we leave."

"I'll wait for you right here!" Kyle said with a trembling voice, he was smiling though.

"Entrapta!" Scorpia called the princess as soon as she stepped through the door.

"Scorpia? What's wrong?" Entrapta raised her visor, looking confused.

"We need to go." Scorpia declared.

"What? Where? Do you need my help with something? Emily is still looking for Catra but she hasn't found her yet. I wonder where-" Entrapta's blabbering was quickly interrupted.

"Catra has been banished."

"What?" Entrapta asked, puzzled.

"Hordak banished her on Beast Island for losing Shadow Weaver." Scorpia explained quickly.

"Oh… that's no good… that place is naaaasty. I don't think anyone has ever returned from there." Entrapta said, scratching her chin.

"Exactly, which is why we're going to save her." Scorpia turned around and started to march towards the room's exit, but she stopped when she realized Entrapta wasn't following her. "Entrapta?"

"If we save her… we'll be traitors…" Entrapta reasoned.

"Who cares?!" Scorpia yelled angrily.

"If I betray Hordak, he won't let me help him anymore, I won't get to work with the technology the Horde has to offer."

"Entrapta… what are you saying?" Scorpia couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"I… I can't lose all of this Scorpia. I made so many new discoveries, so much progress, much more than what I've accomplished during my time in the Rebellion… I-" Entrapta didn't get to finish.

"I thought we were friends… I thought Catra was your friend." Scorpia whispered in disbelief.

"We are! Catra is my friend too but I-"

"No… I thought we were but… clearly, we're not. Goodbye Entrapta."

"Scorpia… wait!" Entrapta called her but Scorpia had already left the room, leaving her alone.

"Fright Zone log…" Entrapta's voice trembled as she started to speak into her recorder, "What is this… strange feeling in my chest? I don't like it… I don't like it one bit."

**Aaaaaaand so we are, at the end of the second chapter, what do you think about it? I hope you liked it and that you're enjoying the story so far. Tell me what you think about this story in the comments, if you have suggestions or advices I'm all ears. Oh, I know that some of the original series' fans might start to say that Beast Island isn't an island with vegetation, but actually an island made of bones with a prison at its center. I know that, but in this story it's going to be an island with a dense vegetation and beasts of all kinds roaming in it. Think of it as Isla Sorna. **

**Edit: I changed the last bit of Octavia and Scorpia's fight, thanks to Brony1984, don't know why I didn't think about Scorpia's stinger. I think the scene looks and works better now. To the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3: Mistakes

**CHAPTER III: MISTAKES **

_Fire. _

_There's fire everywhere._

_People are screaming._

_Others are laughing._

_Those aren't joyful laughs._

_"__Burn the city to ground!" _

_"__Yes, my lord!"_

_"__You've just revealed yourself for what you truly are Hordak… a monster." _

_"__By the time Etheria realizes what happened here, they'll have lost one of their most formidable allies."_

_"__That doesn't matter… the princesses will destroy you… together, they have a power you cannot even imagine."_

_"__But they aren't all together, are they now?"_

_"__No… no! Leave her alone!"_

_"__What is it that you said to me? That you'd tear me to pieces before the battle was over? I think you should try a little bit of your own medicine. Commander?"_

_"__It'll be my pleasure, Lord Hordak."_

_"__I always knew you were a coward, but making your men do this instead of doing it yourself? There's no end to your worthlessness."_

_"__I'll be busy keeping her from waking up, we don't want to ruin her nap now, do we?"_

_"__No! Leave her alone!"_

_"__Goodbye Katrina…"_

_"__No! Catra! Ca-"_

_Screams._

_Screams of pure agony._

_Red everywhere._

_Fire everywhere._

_Darkness everywhere._

Catra woke up screaming, her hand outstretched, as she was trying to reach for something, or maybe… someone. She never had such a terrifying nightmare, not one that felt so… real. She hugged her knees, burying her face in her knees. She felt a tear streaming down her cheeks.

"What's wrong with me?!" Catra growled, angrily wiping away the tiny droplet before punching the ground.

It hurt, and that made Catra look at what she was actually laying on. Metal, of course. Why couldn't she have just woken up on a beach or something? She looked around, trying to figure out where she was. A poorly lit, extremely small room with a set of bars that blocked her way out. A cell, of course.

"Not again."

"Where did you think you'd wake up? A comfy bed or something?"

Catra recognized that voice almost immediately. Not as annoying as Octavia's but still, pretty irritating.

"Lonnie… where are we?" Catra asked, standing up.

"On a ship, directed to Beast Island." Lonnie answered, crossing her arms.

Catra raised an eyebrow in confusion. Strangely, Lonnie wasn't being smug about the situation. Actually, she was frowning.

"What's wrong? I thought you'd be happier about this." Catra chuckled darkly.

"Happier about what?" Lonnie asked, her tone being a mixture of confusion and… anger? Why would she be angry?

"About this, me being locked up and you… being on the other side." Catra answered, she started to laugh, but immediately stopped as Lonnie's punch collided with the cell's bars.

"God damnit Catra! Why did you have to screw everything up?!" Lonnie yelled angrily.

Catra remained silent for a few moments, baffled by Lonnie's outburst. What was that all about? She expected Lonnie to mock her, to rub in her face the fact that she had lost her position sooner than any other second in command ever had. She certainly wasn't exptectin… this.

"What are you talking about?" Catra asked, she couldn't quiet figure out what could have made Lonnie that angry.

"I'm talking about this Catra!" Lonnie gestured at the cell Catra was trapped in.

"Uhhh… yeah, I'm in a cell, is that what you're trying to-" Catra began but was interrupted by another punch to her cell's bars.

"That's not the point! Things were finally starting to get better!" Lonnie shouted.

"What?" Catra still couldn't grasp what was happening.

"When you became second in command, things finally started to get better. People weren't so afraid of making a joke, of fooling around a little bit… it was nothing like when Shadow Weaver was Hordak's second in command… and you had to ruin it all!"

It all made sense now. Catra noticed it too. During her last weeks as second in command, she noticed how kids would run in the corridors, laugh, and play together even outside of their rooms. She even caught a few guards chatting with each other, exchanging some jokes. They were never about her though and she liked that.

Everything seemed calmer, as if life had become a little more enjoyable after Shadow Weaver got locked up and she became the new second in command. She was respected, finally, but she had never thought about the fact that she actually made everyone's lives better. And now… thanks to her actions, she had made everyone's lives worse.

But Catra wasn't one to take responsibilities of her actions, or admit she had done something wrong, even though, deep down, she knew she had failed. The worse thing was that she hadn't just failed herself, she failed the Horde. She failed Scorpia, Entrapta, Lonnie, Kyle, Rogelio and every single soldier or kid that for some unknown reason, had started to look up to her. But how could she admit that to herself?

How could she admit that Shadow Weaver was right? That she ended up failing, just like the damned witch has always told her she would have.

_"__You'll never amount to anything! You're worthless!"_

Catra shook her head, trying to keep at bay Shadow Weaver's voice.

"Not my fault Hordak banished me because of one, single, stupid mistake." Catra shrugged.

"It wasn't a stupid mistake Catra! You let Shadow Weaver escape and then you lied to Hordak! You should have told him immediately!" Lonnie gritted her teeth, she couldn't bear how Catra seemed not to care about what was happening.

"Yeah of course, because that would have worked out just fine for me, right? What do you think, that Hordak would have given me a pat on the shoulder and told me to do better next time?" Catra said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Maybe not… probably not. He would have punished you, but he wouldn't have banished you. Now Octavia is the new second in command and things are looking grim for everyone. I didn't expect you to be so selfish." Lonnie exhaled, sadness replacing her rage.

"What did you say?" Catra growled, standing up.

"I thought you'd prove yourself to be better than Shadow Weaver, but all you've been is a selfish, narcissistic little shit! You only thought about yourself and now because of you everyone is going to pay!"

Catra's lips thinned. If those bars hadn't been there…

"You know? I thought you were better than Adora…"

"I'm nothing like her!" Catra hissed, pouncing towards Lonnie, grabbing her cell's bars.

"You're right… she left us all behind… but at least she did it to protect someone. You… you only care about yourself. I thought we could trust you, I thought I could trust you… hell, maybe even become…" Lonnie shook her head, giving a short, sad laugh.

"Become what Lonnie?" Catra asked, a mocking smile forming on her lips.

"Those nights weren't meaningless, you know?"

"They meant nothing to me." Catra spat cruelly.

Lonnie's eyes widened in disbelief. She remained silent for a few moments before her expression morphed into one of pure hate.

"I get it now, why she left you behind. You deserve to be alo-"

**BOOM!**

Lonnie couldn't finish her sentence. Suddenly, a loud explosion resonated above them, alongside countless screams of pain. The cadet lost her balance for a moment and fell to the ground. Her hears were ringing loudly and her vision was blurred. When it started to finally become clearer, her eyes widened in horror as she noticed that Catra's cell had been damaged by the explosion… the bars were now broken, and the feline was nowhere to be seen. At least that's what Lonnie thought until she felt a weight on her chest, it made her unable to move and when she looked up, she saw a pair of mismatched eyes staring right back her. She didn't have time to react, a clawed hand seized her throat tightly.

Catra was above her, keeping her from moving, keeping her from breathing.

"Go on… do it… this is what you've become… right?" Lonnie muttered.

She couldn't see Catra clearly, but she didn't seem amused. She almost looked… conflicted?

A few, endless moments later…

Catra let her go.

Lonnie coughed loudly as she got on her knees. Her head hurt, but fortunately, she hadn't been injured by the explosion. Neither did Catra. The former second in command was standing right in front of her. Lonnie raised her head and looked at her, not quite understanding Catra's expression.

"I'm sorry Lonnie… I'm sorry about everything… but I'm going to make it right. I promise." Catra said, her gaze focused on the ground.

"Catra… I-"

But before Lonnie could say anything else, Catra spun around and disappeared into the smoke of the explosion.

"Catra!" Lonnie called her, but she didn't come back.

The cadet felt water soaking her trousers. The ship was sinking.

'I need to get out of here.' Lonnie thought as she stood up and rushed to the stairs leading to the ship's deck.

When Lonnie got out in the open, she couldn't believe her own eyes. The deck had been completely devastated, alongside most of the ship. Everything was burning. A member of the crew tried to rush past her but she managed to catch him by the arm.

"What happened?!" Lonnie yelled.

"S-something attacked us! We have to go! Now!" The soldier answered quickly before heading towards a lifeboat.

Lonnie took a moment to look around herself before following him. That's when she noticed it.

Beast Island.

The island was less than a mile away from them. They had almost reached it. But something prevented them from reaching their destination, and Lonnie got to discover what that something was when she heard screams coming from behind her. As she turned around, she watched in horror as a gargantuan tentacle emerged from the water, tangling itself around the lifeboat before crushing it to pieces, alongside the last survivors of the crew.

'It was supposed to be a simple task…' Lonnie thought. 'I shouldn't have come. I should have stayed home… I should have-'

The fire, the screams, whatever that thing was… it was too much. And when Lonnie saw that same tentacle come back for her, she remained petrified. She couldn't move, as that monstrosity raised itself above her. As she saw it come down, she closed her eyes. Surprisingly, the hit didn't hurt her.

The only thing that Lonnie felt, was water engulfing her. Someone had pushed her away before the tentacle could crush her and she had fallen into the sea. She opened her eyes briefly only to catch a glimpse of something red and… a tail?

Then everything went black.

**Hi guys! So, this is all for this chapter. I thought about adding the scene where Adora gets to talk to Shadow Weaver and discovers the reason she came to her, but I decided to make the fourth chapter out of it, I'm already working on it. So, I hope you liked this chapter, I hope you're enjoying the story so far, thanks for all the favs and follows and for all the kind comments, they're really important to me. If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments and as always, I'll see you, in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Missing Piece

**CHAPTER IV: THE MISSING PIECE **

If someone had told Scorpia she would have ended up defecting from the Horde a few days ago, she would have called them nuts. The Horde was her home and as force captain, she had responsibilities. Plus, her best friend was there too. But now she wasn't, not anymore. Catra had been ripped away from her and because of that, Scorpia came to a sudden realization.

The Horde wasn't her home. Not any longer. Catra was.

Even when she found herself rushing through the Fright Zone, with Kyle right beside her, she didn't feel bad about leaving everything she worked for behind. Her title, it didn't mean anything, not without Catra being there with her. And if the Horde didn't want Catra? Fine, they would have had to go on without Scorpia too. And without Kyle. And Rogelio too actually.

They met the lizard man as they were trying to snatch a skiff. He had been sent there on guard duty and seemed pretty surprised to see Scorpia and Kyle stopping right in front of him, both of them trying to catch their breath as if they had been running from something. Kyle stepped forward and took his hand as he began explaining everything that had happened. Catra being banished, Scorpia deciding to give Hordak a piece of her mind, Octavia trying to stop her and well… her being knocked out. Kyle told Rogelio they wanted to save Catra, because even if not all of the Horde had realized it, she was actually changing things for the better.

Rogelio seemed lost in thought for a moment and Kyle looked like the tension was going to make him pass out, but after a few, endless instants, the lizard man smiled, giving the skinny boy's shoulder a comforting squeeze before gesturing them to follow him.

As they jumped aboard the skiff, a loud alarm started to resonate in the air.

"We have to get out of here!" Kyle panicked.

Rogelio simply nodded as he started the skiff's engine.

"Scorpia, wait!"

Scorpia's eyes went wide as she saw a certain purple haired princess appear out of nowhere, blocking their escape.

"Entrapta?!" Scorpia's disbelief was clear in her voice. "What are you doing here?! They're going to catch us if we don't escape right now!"

"I know! I just…" Entrapta seemed to hesitate for a moment, but before Scorpia could say something, she handed her a tablet. "Take it… I'll… I'll keep in touch and if you ever need anything… I'll do my best to help you."

Scorpia didn't take the tablet immediately. She remained silent, studying Entrapta's expression. She saw… fear, and what almost looked like genuine concern. After a few moments, she exhaled, and took the device from Entrapta's hands.

"Scorpia, I just wanted to tell you that I'm… I'm…" Entrapta struggled to continue.

"I'm sorry too Entrapta, about those things I told you. I don't know what's going on through that big, mad scientist head of yours, but I hope you'll figure it out. Thank you, for trying to help."

Entrapta smiled cautiously at Scorpia, who smiled back, not with her usual toothy grin, but still, to the purple haired princess, it meant a lot. She couldn't still figure out why, she had never been good with emotions or social conventions, but as she watched Scorpia, Kyle and Rogelio drive away, she started to feel like she was on to figuring out something… something way more important than any scientific discovery she could have ever made. She just hoped she would have been able to understand what that something was before it was too late.

"Where to now Scorpia?" Kyle asked, as the Fright Zone became smaller and smaller behind them.

"We'll need all the help we can get and… a boat."

Meanwhile, in Hordak's throne room:

"My lord." Octavia saluted as she keeled in front of Hordak.

"Commander Octavia… I presume you're here to tell me that the fugitives have been captured." Hordak stared at his new second in command for a few moments, waiting for an answer, when he didn't receive any, he spoke again. "Well?"

"My deepest apologies Lord Hordak… the fugitives managed to escape, a cadet that was put on guard duty provided them with a skiff and when I regained my senses it was too-" Octavia's blabbering came to a halt when she saw Hordak raising a hand.

"What about Commander Catra's banishment on Beast Island, have you received any news from the crew that was escorting her?"

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

"No my lord… I've been informed that… all communications with the crew have been lost." Octavia didn't dare to raise her gaze. In one day, she already delivered to Hordak two bad news.

"Thank you, Commander, for bringing these minor inconveniences to my attention. You may leave now." Hordak's tone of voice was surprisingly calm.

Octavia didn't wait for a second invitation to leave. She bowed her head before turning around, descending the ladder to the throne room's exit. When the door opened, she came face to face with Entrapta. The new second in command scowled at the princess, before pushing her aside roughly.

"Whoa, what's her problem?" Entrapta asked casually as she stepped into the throne room.

Lately, Hordak had almost come to terms with Entrapta's… lack of manners. The first time she dared to sneak inside his private lab to work on his new power source, he thought about pulverizing the disrespectful brat right on the spot, but her competence in mechanics and physics revealed itself to be absolutely crucial to the realization of his plan. So, Hordak decided to put up with Entrapta's disrespectful behavior. There would be a time for some… disciplinary lessons, but right now, they needed to get back to work.

"Commander Octavia isn't particularly fond of… princesses, as many other members of the Horde." Hordak answered.

"Oh… but you and I seem to get along just fine, how's that?" Entrapta wondered.

"That is because I always look beyond people's origins, what really matters are their abilities, and yours Entrapta, are particularly useful to my plan." Hordak explained as he stood up from his throne and walked towards his private lab, Entrapta following right behind.

"Sooooo… are we close to opening the portal?"

Lately, the mad genius had been working on Hordak's new power source nonstop. Thanks to the piece of First Ones' tech she had managed to bring back from that north pole's excavation camp, its energy levels were now off the charts. Well, she could have never done it alone. If it wasn't for Catra and Scorpia being there with her…

Catra and Scorpia…

Suddenly, Entrapta's mind became clouded with memories from all the things the strange trio had done together. She thought about Catra letting her become a member of the Horde and Scorpia's silly drawings of the three of them holding hands. She remembered the two of them entrusting her with the Black Garnet, even though she didn't really know what she was doing until she did it. Being there for her, putting their trust in her… all those things made her feel… wanted, even though she hadn't realized it until… until she lost them. She had lost both Catra and Scorpia and the worst thing was that she had been given a chance to reunite with them… and she had turned that down.

"Entrapta?" Hordak called her, noticing how the princess seemed to be lost in her thought.

"Sorry, just thinking about something I was working on." Entrapta replied casually, she shook her head, trying to focus on the task at hand. There was no time for feeling these… these things…

Hordak hummed doubtfully, unconvinced by Entrapta's explanation. However, he decided to let it slide. He didn't have time for that. Entrapta's lies, whatever may have been the problem with his former second in command's banishment, the Horde's defectors escape, those were nothing but minor inconveniences compared to the realization of his ultimate plan.

"We are indeed very close Entrapta… in fact, the power source you've been helping me build will suffice."

"Really? D-does that mean that… we're actually close?" Entrapta asked, barely able to contain her excitement.

"The only thing left to do is opening the portal." Hordak told her, as he gestured towards a series of screens which showed that the power source's energy levels were indeed optimal for opening a portal…

And yet, Entrapta had no idea of how actually they were going to do it. She had studied the phenomenon, theories of bridges across space and time, about people being able to reach a destination that was hours away from them by simply stepping through a door. A journey that would take days, maybe even weeks, reduced to a single step. It was a marvelous concept, an extraordinary theory, but no one had even come close to an actual explanation of how to create such a thing.

"How are we going to do that?"

"All we need is one, final, missing piece. Have you ever heard of something called 'exotic matter', Entrapta?" Hordak questioned.

"I… I've never heard of it!" Entrapta yelled, puzzled. She had always considered herself one of the most knowledgeable people on Etheria in matters of mechanics and physics, but this exotic matter… she had never even heard of it!

A sparkle of amusement appeared in Hordak's eyes as he saw Entrapta's ones filling with such a wild curiosity. It had been so long since the last time he had a pupil who actually understood what he said and showed genuine interest in his knowledge.

"Exotic matter is something that is characterized by negative energy, if we'll manage to produce even an infinitesimal amount of it, we'll manage to open a portal using it." Hordak explained.

He watched as Entrapta assumed a perplexed expression. He waited for a few moments, then, he let himself grin as he heard the princess gasp, her smile coming back ten times bigger.

"If it is has negative energy that would mean… this exotic matter is repelled by gravity!" Entrapta exclaimed, hitting the palm of her hand with a fist.

"Exactly… the key to obtaining this special kind of matter lies in quantum fluctuation. What do you know about subatomic particles and their corresponding antiparticles?"

"Well… according to the quantum theory, they're continuously popping in and out of existence. This creates a sort of… fizziness in the vacuum of empty space." Entrapta reasoned, trying to recall her quantum physics notions. After all, lately she had been focused more on mechanics than physics, so she might have been just a little rusty on that.

"And what would happen if we suppressed the… fizziness?" Hordak asked.

"B-but that would mean violating the averaged null energy condition!" Entrapta couldn't believe what Hordak was telling her, his procedure for opening a portal was… completely unheard of! Yet again, the very possibility of actually creating portals was also pretty unheard of.

"By doing that we'll produce all the exotic matter we'll need."

"But… how could we do that? Suppressing the fizziness?"

"Etherians nowdays aren't in possess of such an advanced technology, they're hundreds of years away from discovering it." Hordak hissed in disgust, these people, Ethernians, they were nothing but incompetents and retrogrades.

"B-but… this means we can't-" Entrapta began to say, her excitement shattered by the possibility of never actually accomplishing the creation of such a scientific wonder.

Hordak was quick to interrupt her.

"I said that Etherians nowdays don't posses that kind of technology… I never said that someone before them didn't have it." Hordak's malicious grin grew wider.

Entrapta gasped loudly.

"The First Ones!"

**I know I know, "Marvel! Where the heck is Adora and Shadow Weaver's conversation! We want that!". Well, number one, I really like wobbly science, even though I can't really comprehend it, number two, I just loved Entrapta and Hordak's interactions during season two, so I wanted to create a similar moment myself, number three, I promise that chapter five will be completely centered around that, this time for real, I just got caught up in the wibbly wobbliness of portals and noticed that I wrote 2000 words already, there's no space for anything else. So I'll move the rest to the next chapter. The fifth chapter will be about Adora discovering why Shadow Weaver came to her, there will be also some interactions between Glimmer and the shadowy witch and maybe… just mayyyyyybe… Micah will be mentioned during their conversation. Plus, you'll probably get to find out more about Catra's strange dream. To the next chapteeeer! And! Beyond!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Truth

**CHAPTER V: THE TRUTH**

Adora kept pacing around her room, her expression a mixture of anger, perplexity and concern. Shadow Weaver had been right in front of her just a few hours ago. That witch had been watching Adora in her sleep for who knows how much before she woke up. She could have killed her, taken her back to the Horde. She could have erased Adora's memory, to make her forget about Glimmer, Bow, the Rebellion, and come back to the Fright Zone with her. She could have done a lot of bad things, but the fact was that… she didn't. Shadow Weaver didn't try to hurt Adora, she was going to hand her her sword, the same weapon she thought had taken away her precious child from her. Not only that, she seemed… concerned, about something. Adora had never seen Shadow Weaver being worried about anything or anyone but this time… she felt like the witch had come to her to tell her something important, something she didn't get the chance to hear. The blonde girl stopped walking around, she passed a hand through her hair as she released a long, tired sigh. Somehow, she knew that whatever Shadow Weaver had come to tell her… if she didn't listen to it… she would have regretted it for the rest of her life.

"She's awake."

Adora yelped in surprise as she heard a voice coming from behind her. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice Glimmer teleporting into her room. When she turned around, the first thing she noticed was the princess's expression. Apart from the fact that Glimmer was averting her gaze, she looked doubtful, scared… angry, even?

"Glimmer I… I wouldn't have asked you to take me to her if it wasn't important." Adora stepped forwards, putting a hand on Glimmer's shoulder.

"Why Adora? Why even bother yourself talking to that witch?!" Glimmer said, finally raising her gaze to meet Adora's one.

"I need to know what she came her for…"

"She must have come here to kidnap you! O-or to hurt you! Who knows what she would have done to you if I hadn't intervened!"

"I don't think she was going to hurt me Glimmer, she was handing me my sword… I think she came here for a reason… and I think that whatever that might be, it has nothing to do with her wanting me to go back to the Horde." Adora watched as Glimmer assumed a conflicted expression.

"I just… I just don't want anything to happen to you… or mom, or Bow. I just…"

Glimmer paused for a moment, before placing her own hand on Adora's one.

"When me and Bow got captured, and you came to rescue us… I remember her trying to wipe away your memory… Adora, I was so scared of you opening your eyes and just… not knowing me anymore!"

Adora couldn't take it anymore, seeing Glimmer like this, it pained her. She remembered how frightened the princess looked when she asked her if she knew who she was. She hadn't thought about how seeing Shadow Weaver again had really affected her. Adora stepped forwards and embraced Glimmer, holding her tight.

"I'm sorry Glimmer, it was scary for me too and I know that what Shadow Weaver had tried to do to us is unforgivable… but… I need your help… deep down, I know that there is something I have to know and… she's the only one who'll tell me. Can you do this for me?" Adora pleaded as she slightly pulled away from the hug.

She watched Glimmer straight in the eyes, the princess looked extremely conflicted. But after a few moments, she sighed heavily, letting a small, yet hopeful smile play on her face.

"Alright… for you." Glimmer said, hugging Adora one last time before pulling away.

"Thank you, I promise nothing bad will happen."

"Oh you better be sure of it, because if she tries anything, I'm going to knock her out again." Glimmer declared, making her fist glow with a purplish light.

"I'm sure you will." Adora laughed. "So, where are they keeping her?"

"Bright Moon Castle's deepest, darkest doungeon. It's impossible to get in without a whole lot of keys but fortunately, I got a… let's call it a passepartout." Glimmer winked, extending a hand for Adora to take.

When she did, they both disappeared into a cloud of sparkles.

When they reappeared, Adora couldn't see almost anything. Glimmer had trusted her and managed to teleport both of them into the deepest, darkest dungeon of Bright Moon Castle. The definition was definitely fitting. The room in which they had appeared was poorly lit. The only light that could be seen came from a small brazier, suspended above squared, sturdy looking, iron cage.

There, she saw Shadow Weaver... hunched up in a corner. When the witch noticed them, she raised her head.

"Ah… Adora, I knew you'd come." Shadow Weaver's voice sounded tired, almost like she had to use all of the strength she had left just to pronounce those few words.

"Is this a trick? Did Hordak send you?" Adora questioned, she didn't want to waste even a single second staying in that dungeon.

Glimmer had trusted her and managed to teleport both of them into the deepest, darkest dungeon of Bright Moon Castle. The definition was definitely fitting. The room in which they had appeared was poorly lit. The only light that could be seen came from a small brazier, suspended above squared, sturdy looking, iron cage in which Shadow Weaver had been thrown in.

"Do you think that if Hordak had anything to do with this, I would have come here myself? You should know by now that when I'm after something, I have better ways to obtain it… you were in Mystacor after all… you saw what I did."

"Are you gloating about that?!" Glimmer half yelled, taking a step towards the small cell.

The princess only calmed down when she felt Adora's hand on her shoulder.

"But this time you didn't… you came here all by yourself. Why?"

"I had to… I couldn't use my shadows, I lost so much of my power when Hordak took away my precious Black Garnet and Catra… well… who do you think has done this to my mask?" Shadow Weaver asked, pointing at the claw marks that adorned her mask.

"She didn't do anything you didn't deserve." Adora spat.

"Ah… still protecting her after everything she has done to you and all of your friends. You really do love her, don't you?"

Adora thinned her lips and looked away, she wanted to tell Shadow Weaver she was wrong, but…

"Quit stalling and tell us what we want to know!" Glimmer hissed impatiently.

"I'm not Hordak's second in command anymore, and after what he did to me, I do not intend to follow him any longer."

"Liar! This is just a trick, isn't it?! You're just trying to-" Glimmer spoke before being interrupted by Adora.

"She's telling the truth."

"Adora! You can't seriously trust her! After everything you told me she's done to you!" Gimmer said in disbelief, she couldn't believe what Adora had just told her.

"I don't trust her… but I know for certain that she would never risk her life doing something like this… she knew your mom was probably going to execute her once the guards had managed to capture her… so she must be here for something important…" Adora reasoned.

"I'm here because of Catra."

Adora remained silent for a few moments, before taking a few steps forwards. She gripped the cell's iron bars so tightly that her knuckles went white.

"What did you do to her?" The blonde growled.

"Me? Nothing… Hordak, on the other hand…"

All color drained from Adora's face.

"Did… did he?..." Adora's voice trembled, she couldn't continue.

"No, but a far worse destiny than an execution awaits her in the place he sent her."

"Where is she?"

"Hordak banished her on Beast Island." Shadow Weaver answered.

"No…" Adora whispered, lowering her gaze to the ground.

"Adora…" Glimmer reached out and gave her shoulder a light squeeze, trying to comfort her friend.

Glimmer knew about Beast Island, she knew everything about it, and so did Adora. No one had ever escaped from that place.

"You're lying… I don't know why you'd risk your life over it but you're lying… she can't be there… why would you tell me?! You never cared about her!"

"I did…" Shadow Weaver's answer elicited a disbelieved laugh from Adora.

"Well, you certainly had a nice way to show it. No, I'm not buying this. Where is Catra? I want the truth." Adora demanded.

"I already told you the truth… but perhaps… not all of it."

"You better start talking, the guards will check on you very soon." Glimmer crossed her arms, huffing, she was tired of Shadow Weaver's lies, she was tired of her words hurting her friend.

"Alright then… I know you'll try to save her, but you can't, not alone. Your 'friends' will never help you, even though they care for you, they're not going to risk their lives trying to save Catra, not after everything she did to them."

Adora wanted to say she was wrong, that she didn't know anything about her friends, but she bit her lip instead, she knew Shadow Weaver was right… again. Even though Glimmer, Bow and the other princesses cared about her, it was unlikely that they would risk their lives trying to save Hordak's former second in command.

"I want to take down Hordak, Adora, but with only the power of the princess alliance on our side… we won't stand a chance against him." Shadow Weaver rose shakily from the ground, limping towards the cell's door.

"There's no such thing as 'we' Shadow Weaver! We'll defeat Hordak and we won't need your help doing it!" Glimmer intervened, how dared that witch even think about joining them after what she'd done to them?!

"You know you won't. Your alliance barely managed to put down a few of his new robots, and with Entrapta working by Hordak's side, who knows what kind of new weapons they could create…"

"Even if you're right… what does Catra have to do with all of this?" Adora's tone sounded almost… pleading. She was tired of all the lies, if Shadow Weaver knew a way to convince her friends to help Catra, she had to tell her.

"The Princess Alliance isn't strong enough to defeat Hordak… but it could be…"

"What are you talking about?! Stop talking in riddles!" Glimmer's patience ran out as she slammed her hands against the cell's bars.

"The Princess Alliance could be strong enough… if it was complete."

Adora froze.

She couldn't speak.

She couldn't think.

"You're lying!" Glimmer shouted angrily.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me, that's why I came here prepared." Shadow Weaver said, taking a vial in her hands.

"H-how did you manage to keep that?! The guards searched you before throwing you in here!" Glimmer took a step back.

She expected the witch to use the vial against them, to destroy the cell with it, to do something harmful with it, but nothing of the sort happened. Instead, Shadow Weaver brought her right hand to her temple. It was like if she was trying to catch something, and when she pulled her hand away, Adora and Glimmer's eyes widened as they saw that the witch had gathered a shiny, silver thread between her fingers. She slid it into the vial, before extending her hand through the iron bars.

"W-what is that?" Adora muttered.

"Drop it into a mirror of water… then… you'll see that what I told you is true." Shadow Weaver spoke, handing Adora the vial, but before she could take it, Glimmer intervened.

"Adora, don't! You don't know what that thing is! I…" Glimmer hesistated, biting her lip, "I know how much you care about Catra, but you can't let your emotions cloud your judgement! That is the same witch who tried to wipe away your memories, who messed with my powers and attacked Mystacor! She tried to hurt all of us! You can't trust her!" The princess turned towards Shadow Weaver, an expression of pure hate adorned her face. "And you, I don't know what you're planning, but rest assured, I'm not going to let you hurt Adora ever again! She's my friend and I'm going to protect her!"

"Such determination… passion… righteousness… you are indeed Micah's daughter."

Glimmer immediately became silent as she heard Shadow Weaver's words. She felt a chill running up her spine, while a puzzled expression appeared on her face.

"Y-you don't get to say his name… you don't know anything about my father." Glimmer stuttered, her eyes wide in shock.

"Oh but I do… I was his teacher… back in my days in Mystacor." Shadow Weaver continued.

"Shut up." Glimmer whispered.

"I thought him everything he knew."

"Shut up!"

"And I was there when he died."

Silence…

One second…

Two seconds…

Three seconds…

"What?" Glimmer's voice was starting to break.

"Do you want to know what his last words were?" Shadow Weaver asked.

Glimmer's eyes widened in pure bewilderment, as tears started to stream down her cheeks.

"I-" She began to speak, but was suddenly interrupted by a booming voice.

"That is enough!"

"Mom!" Glimmer spun around, wiping her eyes hastily.

"I've heard enough of your lies witch! You shall not poison my daughter and Adora with them any longer!" Queen Angella's booming voice resonated in the room.

"Oh Angella… but I've told nothing but the truth." Shadow Weaver snickered.

"As if they would ever believe what you told them! Your words were nothing but a… a bunch of lies and nothing more!" Angella turned towards Glimmer, grasping her shoulders. "Why did you come here Glimmer? She could've hurt you! She could have hurt both of you!"

"But she didn't…" Adora whispered, making both Angella and Glimmer turn towards her. "I think… I think she's telling the truth about Catra…"

"Oh Adora… can't you see that she's only trying to deceive you? That witch has never wanted anything more than power!" Angella told her, but as she saw Adora's conflicted expression, her own softened, "You really believe her, don't you?"

"I… I do…"

"Why would you risk your life for someone who tried to hurt you, who tried to hurt all us, so many, many times Adora? Angella asked, cupping Adora's cheeks.

"Isn't it obvious Angella?" Shadow Weaver chuckled darkly.

"Oh… I… I understand." The queen murmured, releasing Adora, as a pained expression appeared on her face. "Then you leave me no choice."

Angella took a few steps back, before four guards entered the room.

"Mom? What are you doing?" Glimmer asked hesitantly.

"Until me and the Alliance decide what to do about this matter, make sure Adora doesn't leave her chambers." Angella declared.

A terrified expression appeared on Glimmer's face, as Adora stepped back.

"You can't do that! She hasn't done anything wrong!" Glimmer shouted.

"I'm sorry… but I can't let you do this. You won't die for nothing, and I won't certainly let my daughter or any other princess join you."

"No! Queen Angella, please! You must listen to me!" Adora shouted as the guards took her away.

"Mom… I can't believe you'd do this…" Glimmer muttered, horrified by the scene that had just played in front of her eyes.

"I'd do anything to keep you safe. Adora may love Catra… but I won't let it kill her… I won't let it kill you." Angella spoke determinately, although, the princess could see a hint of sadness in her eyes.

The queen motioned for Glimmer to follow her outside. The princess sighed heavily, but before she stepped out of the room, she gave one last glance to Shadow Weaver.

Her eyes widened when she saw that she nothing in her hands.

The vial was gone.

**Finalyyyyyyyyyyyy! It's done guys, it took me a while but I finally did it, the conversation between Adora, Shadow Weaver, Glimmer AND Angella. I hope you liked this chapter, I hope you're enjoying the story so far, thank you for all the kind comments, they really keep me going. See you in the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6: Dreams

**CHAPTER VI: DREAMS**

_Darkness… it surrounded her…_

_Suddenly, a cry resonated in the night air…_

_It was a child's cry…_

_But why… why did it feel so familiar?_

_She was so scared… scared and alone…_

_But then… the darkness was swept away by a bright light…_

_A figure appeared from above and bent over her… but she couldn't see it clearly…_

_All she knew was that as soon as their hand stroked her cheek, all the fear was gone…_

_"__Did you have a nightmare? Oh… poor sweety… come here."_

_Who was this person?_

_Why…_

_Why did she feel so… safe in their arms?_

_"__Hush my little kitten, don't be scared_

_I'm going to stay with you 'till the bad dreams end_

_And when the sun comes up and the sky is clear _

_You will wake up and find that I'm still here_

_Do not be afraid, there's no reason to _

_That's because your mom will always… love… you."_

_That voice…_

_"__Did she have another nightmare?"_

_"__Don't worry dear… our sweet, little Catra has nothing to fear…"_

Catra opened her eyes. She sat up and clutched her chest tightly. There was this… odd, unprecedented feeling of quiet and peace lingering in her chest, that she couldn't explain. The dream she had, it felt so real, just like the one she had before she woke up on the ship headed to Beast Island. The voice she heard, that lullaby… it made her feel… made her feel so…

"Ugh! W-what's happening to me?!" Catra yelled in exasperation.

She felt something wet streaming down her left cheek. Puzzled, she lifted a hand and wiped away a tear.

"Why was I crying?!"

"I've been wondering the same thing."

Catra shrieked and jumped high in the air before landing a few meters away. When she focused on who actually spoke to her, she felt both relieved and annoyed. Mostly annoyed.

"Lonnie." Catra growled.

"You don't seem happy to see me."

"Oh you know, usually people are not that happy about waking up next to their executioners."

"Then why did you save me if that's what you think of me?" Lonnie asked, a smug smile adorning her face.

"Shut up…" Catra groaned, averting her gaze.

"Catra…"

Lonnie's sudden serious tone of voice made Catra immediately look up.

"Why did you save me?"

Catra sighed, rubbing the back of her head. Why did she do it? Why did she save Lonnie? She had always been nothing more than another annoying bully to her. Someone who tried to break her, to make her believe she was nothing and that she would have never amounted to anything in her life.

That was how Catra saw Lonnie, at least… until Adora left… until she became second in command.

Adora abandoned all of them. She left Lonnie, Kyle and Rogelio behind. Catra didn't.

Shadow Weaver's only desire had always been power, she didn't care about anyone, not Catra, not the other cadets. She didn't care about being looked up to or being loved. She cared about being feared.

Catra didn't.

She didn't leave and the only thing she cared about was being respected. She was… happy that a few kids were actually looking up to her and that now cadets seemed to be less scared… more relaxed. That's the reason Lonnie started to see her in a completely different light. Catra wasn't the lazy, arrogant person without ideals she had always thought she was. She was… loyal and… kind… in her own way.

So one night, when Lonnie came to her not to insult her, berate her or fight her but to apologize to her, for everything she did to her when they were younger, Catra started to see her in a completely different light too.

"Listen… you're not a bad person Lonnie, I know that much. I meant what I said on the ship… those nights? They were just my stress reliever. But… despite that and everything else we did to each other when we were younger… I actually respect you, maybe I was even starting to see you as…" Catra hesitated for a moment.

"A friend?" Lonnie concluded, a small, hopeful smile on her face.

"Tsk, you wish!" Catra said, a mocking grin plastered on her face, although, there was no malice in it.

"Catra…"

"Okay, okay! Maybe I started to see you as a friend… a little."

"Listen, I want you to know… Octavia threatened to hurt Kyle and Rog if I helped you. I wanted to open that cell the moment they threw you in but… I-" Lonnie didn't get to finish that sentence, she stopped when she saw Catra raising her hand.

"You don't have to justify yourself, I know that… I know that I'm to blame for Shadow Weaver's escape… if I didn't let her manipulate me, we wouldn't be here now." Catra looked down, but raised her gaze as she felt Lonnie's hand on her shoulder.

"Can't blame yourself for that."

The two genuinely smiled at each other before actually starting to look around. They've been so absorbed in their conversation that they didn't even realize where they have woken up. Apparently, they've been lucky enough not to drown. Instead, they washed up on the shore of a little beach. It only took a moment for Catra and Lonnie to spot a fuming wreck in the sea, a few miles away from them.

"Well… look at the bright side… at least we're alive." Catra joked, laughing a little.

"Catra… we're on Beast Island." Lonnie spoke seriously, not amused at all.

"I know, but did you see any-" Catra began to talk, but suddenly stopped as her eyes widened in terror

"Any what?" Lonnie asked, crossing her arms.

She understood what Catra meant when the cat girl gripped her by the shoulders and forced her to turn around. It all began with a loud rustle. It came from a series of bushes which delimited the entrance of a vast forest. Catra and Lonnie prayed for whatever was coming to be something small, like a mouse. Well, Catra didn't actually hope that it would turn out to be a mouse, still, it would have been better than what actually emerged from the trees. A four legged beast, massive, covered in fur except for its head, which consisted in an oblong, completely skinless skull. The monster rasped the sand with its claws before standing on its hind legs. It had to be five meters high… at least.

"Catra? What do we do?" Lonnie whispered.

Catra knew that they didn't stand a chance against such a formidable adversary. If that beast caught them, it would have tore them apart with a single swipe of those massive claws. There was only one thing to do.

"Run!"

And so they did. They managed to run past the monster before it came down on all four, opening its nightmarish jaws and releasing an inhuman, gurgling roar before starting to chase after them into the forest. They ran as fast as they could but for each meter they traveled, the beast traveled two. Catra turned around to see it coming closer and closer. Suddenly, an idea came to her mind. The monster seemed pretty heavy, and clumsy.

"Quick! Grab my hand!" Catra yelled at Lonnie.

Lonnie looked at her, then at the beast, then at large tree they were rapidly approaching.

"I hope you know what you're doing!" Lonnie grabbed her hand.

As soon as the two reached the tree, Catra jumped and planted her claws into the bark, before pulling Lonnie up with all of her strength. Thanks to the boost, the dark skinned girl managed to grab one of the branches. They started to climb up the tree, sighing in relief as they saw the beast reach its base and start to pace around it. It couldn't reach them up there. They were safe now, they were-

**CRACK**

Oh…

Oh no…

"Catra." Lonnie whispered before a branch she was using to support herself snapped.

Lonnie fell down and hit the ground hard. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring at the beast's gaping jaws.

"Lonnie!" Catra cried, before jumping on the monster's back and planting her claws in it as deep as she could.

The beast roared in pain as it started to shake violently, trying to get Catra off of his back.

"Lonnie, run!"

"No! I can't-" Lonnie tried to argue.

"Just run away! I don't know for how much longer I can hold it! Run!" Catra pleaded desperately.

"If you die I won't ever forgive you, you hear me?!" Lonnie yelled.

"I won't! Now go!"

She turned around and ran away. A part of her kept screaming in her head, calling her a coward, but she knew that if she had stayed, that monster would have killed her. If there was a person that could beat it, it was Catra. She would have been fine, Lonnie knew it… or at least… she hoped it. So she kept running, until she could no longer hear Catra or the monster.

"Why Catra? Why would you do that?" Lonnie whispered, releasing a long, shaky exhale.

Catra's words suddenly came to her mind.

_"__Okay, okay! Maybe I started to see you as a friend… a little." _

That's why.

**Woooooooo! Here we are with another chapter! Shorter one, but I'm kinda in the middle of studying for my final exam, which means that I'll have to slow down with the writing but don't worry, I'll continue writing this story 'till the end! I hope you liked this chapter and the story so far, thanks for all the kind comments, they really give me a boost you know. See you in the next chapter! Bye!**


	7. Chapter 7: One More Princess

**CHAPTER VII: ONE MORE PRINCESS **

"You can't do this!" Adora yelled, trashing around as the guards pushed her inside her bedroom.

"We're sorry, but these are Queen Angella's orders… we cannot disobey her." One of the guards told her before slamming the door shut.

Adora threw herself at it, but it had already been locked from the outside. After a few minutes of punching and kicking the door, the blonde sighed heavily, before sliding down against it.

"Shadow Weaver…" Adora hugged her knees, hiding her face between them. "How could that be true… that Catra is…"

She couldn't believe what she was about to say. She couldn't believe what Shadow Weaver had hinted. If Catra really was one of them… if Catra really was… a princess… then why did that witch insult her and berate her for no reason for all of her life, knowing that it could have driven her away from the Horde? Why did she do that knowing how much of a crucial ally for the Rebellion Catra was?

Or maybe… maybe she knew that by doing that, she would have made Catra want nothing but the power, the respect and the recognition Shadow Weaver had always denied her. That way, she could have rested assured that Catra would have never left the Horde.

Adora had so many questions, so many doubts. Not only Shadow Weaver had returned in her life, but she also brought with her a truth that Adora wasn't ready to face. Well… none of them were actually ready for something like.

And then there was Angella… whom she respected. She never told the queen but lately… Adora had started to see her more and more like a maternal figure. The mother she never actually had. That made her only hurt more after what Angella did to her. Maybe she was really just trying to protect her, but what Adora felt was lack of faith. Hadn't she done enough to earn that?

Adora sighed heavily. She didn't know what to believe anymore. But… actually… there was something she could believe, or at least, she hoped it would shed some light on the witch's claims about Catra's true identity.

"If you were willing to give yourself up just to give me this…" Adora spoke as she began to search for something in her pocket. "Then this… this must be the answer."

The blonde stood up, holding a vial that contained a shiny, silver liquid. When the guards entered Shadow Weaver's chambers, she had managed to get the it from her hands without anyone noticing. After a few moments, Adora raised her gaze from it and noticed a small table which stood on the other side of the bedroom. Her eyes went wide as she recalled Shadow Weaver's words.

"A mirror of water…" Adora whispered, as she noticed a pitcher and a cup on it.

She remembered how the witch told her to find a mirror of water. All she had to do was dropping the liquid into it and somehow, what she was searching for, the truth… it would all be revealed to her. She quickly reached the table and released a long sigh of relief as she noticed that there was still a little bit of water in the pitcher. She took it and raised it over the cup, filling it. She opened the vial and started to tilt it. Was she scared? A lot, her hands were trembling like crazy and she was wondering how she had managed not to drop the vial yet. Was this really what she wanted? Yes, Adora knew she wanted to know the truth, the truth about Catra… and whatever it was, no matter how scary… no matter how troubling… if it was going to help her save Catra… then she'd face it head on.

As soon as the liquid was going to start dripping into the water, Adora's hand stopped.

_Why are you doing this for her?_

_She hurt you._

_She hates you._

_Nothing will change that._

_You had to leave._

_It was the right choice._

_But you still left her._

_She's not going to forgive you._

_You don't know if she's still alive._

_Why even risk?_

Adora shook her head. She knew why.

"I'm not going to leave you again."

Adora tilted the vial and a single drop of shiny, silver liquid fell into the cup.

**Meanwhile, in Glimmer's room: **

"Wait wait wait, so you're telling me that you teleported inside the dungeon just because Adora felt like Shadow Weaver came here for a reason, and that reason is… Catra being on Beast Island and her being… a princess? And then your mom came in and locked Adora away?" Bow scratched his chin as he tried to process what Glimmer had just told him… well more like yelled at him.

"I can't believe my mom would do that!" Glimmer yelled angrily as she kicked her bed's edge before sitting down.

"Well, it was kinda harsh to forbid you to join the alliance's meeting, but to lock Adora in her bedroom and send four guards to keep an eye on her? Jeez, that's a tad too much. Why would she do that?" Bow asked as he sat beside her.

"She thinks Adora is too 'emotionally involved' in this situation to see things clearly." Glimmer let out a long exhale before resting her chin on top of her hands.

"She wants to save her doesn't she?" Bow asked, a small smile on his face.

"I just don't get it! I mean, Adora tried to reason with Catra, she tried to patch up things with her, to show her that the Horde is evil and to bring her on our side and that… that mangy cat still tried to destroy Bright Moon! She kidnapped us, tried to kill us, she must have tried to kill Adora a hundred times!" Glimmer shouted in exasperation, waving her arms in the air.

"Thaaaaat's an exaggeration." Bow commented but immediately shut up as Glimmer shot him a dirty look.

"Why would Adora risk her life for her?!"

Bow remained silent for a few moments. Why would Adora risk her own life to save the one person that tried to kill her and all of her friends? After everything Catra had done to them, why risk everything to help her? And that's when the reason hit Bow. After everything Catra had done to them… that everything… it was nothing compared to what Adora and Catra had been through for the majority of their lives. And they had been through that together.

"If I joined the Horde-" Bow began to speak but was immediately cut off by a shove.

"Bow! Don't say that! You'd never-"

"If I joined the Horde, and then got stranded on an island infested with deadly monsters… would you still try to save?" Bow asked, putting a hand on Glimmer's shoulder.

He could see the confliction in Glimmer's eyes, but it only lasted a few moments before disappearing. She closed them and let a small, sad smile play on her face. She covered Bow's hand with his own, before looking at him straight in the eyes.

"No one will keep her from trying to save her, isn't it?" Glimmer's tone was sad but also… proud, like she had just remembered what kind of person Adora was.

Adora would have never given up…

"If she's not going to give up on Catra…" Glimmer said, a determined look on her face.

"We're not going to give up on her." Bow finished her sentence, smiling at her.

They would have never abandoned their friend, not in the time when she needed them the most.

"We need to bust Adora out of her room." Glimmer explained, raising up from her bed.

"And then what?"

"I think Adora will know what to do next."

Glimmer grasped Bow's hand and they both disappeared into a cloud of sparkles.

**Meanwhile, at the alliance's reunion:**

The tension inside the meeting's room was palpable. All the princesses remained silent as Queen Angella sat down in her chair. She was stoic as always, but something small, almost imperceptible was betraying her composure. Was it guilt? Doubt? Sadness? After what felt like an eternity, Mermista decided to break the deafening silence.

"Not to be disrespectful or anything but… it's like… reaaaaaly late Queen Angella. Can't we just postpone this meeting in the morning and-" Mermista's rambling was cut short.

"Princesses, believe me when I tell you that this meeting has the uttermost priority over anything else, sleep included. You may be wondering why my daughter, Adora and Bow are absent…" Queen Angella paused, a pained expression betraying her stoic composure.

"A-are they okay?!" Perfuma stuttered, jumping from her seat.

"They are…"

"Then… why are they not here?" Frosta questioned, her brows furrowed, confusion clear in her voice.

"Shadow Weaver has breached our defenses and infiltrated Bright Moon." Angella stated, her gaze low.

An audible gasp escaped everyone's mouths as the revelation hit all of them. Shadow Weaver? One of Hordak's most formidable allies? The one who tortured Glimmer and tried to wipe Adora's memories away? The princesses' shock was soon replaced by scowls and enraged expressions.

"What did that witch do?" Netossa growled.

"I swear… if she has laid even a single finger on our friends or Bright Moon's inhabitants I'll-" Spinnerella was abruptly cut off by Angella slamming her hands on the meeting's table.

"She's done nothing of the sort! She was restrained before she could harm anyone… but…" Angella's firm composure fell apart as she recalled Shadow Weaver's words, the lies she told Adora to manipulate her, in order to hurt her, to hurt all of them.

Images of the young girl's betrayed expression as the guards brought her away came to Angella's mind, alongside Glimmer's. They both must have felt like she had betrayed them, like she didn't trust them. It wasn't like that, but she knew that Adora would have never been impartial about anything regarding Catra, and she knew that both Glimmer and Bow would have followed her anywhere. She couldn't let that happen, she couldn't let Shadow Weaver trick them with her false promises. She knew what the witch had told them not to be the truth, it couldn't be. The alliance was already complete, the only princess missing was the one who was never brought into this world… an old friend's unborn child…

"But?" Perfuma intervened, braking the Queen's train of thoughts.

"She told Adora something… something regarding Catra." Angella raised her gaze, her eyes now filled with worry.

"Tsk… what about that cat?" Mermista scoffed.

"Shadow Weaver told her that Catra has been banished on Beast Island."

Silence fell upon the entire room. With time, each princess came to know about Adora and Catra's past together, finally beginning to understand why the warrior princess always seemed to hold back when she faced the ferocious cat lady on the battlefield. The implications of what Angella had just told them were clear. If Catra had been banished on Beast Island, it meant she was in danger, and that Adora probably would try to save her. But it couldn't be that easy, even with the power of She-Ra, she would have never been able to survive on Beast Island. She would need help, and how could Shadow Weaver convince the other princesses to help Adora in her quest?

"Ugh… let me guess… Adora wants to save her?" Mermista complained loudly.

Angella released a long exhale, nodding.

"She'll never be able to do it alone… and Shadow Weaver must know this… it's a trap! Adora is going to die on that wretched island!" Frosta exclaimed.

"That is why Shadow Weaver tried to trick Glimmer and Bow into following her…" Angella hissed venomously, how dared that witch try to trick her daughter? How dared she disrespect her husband's memory and… how dared she even try to make them believe that… that Catra was actually… actually **_her_** daughter…

"How? How could she do that?" Perfuma questioned, clearly confused.

"She told them Catra is the missing piece of the alliance."

A stunned silence followed Queen Angella's declaration.

"That's impossible." Frosta gritted her teeth.

"She can't be a princess." Mermista stated coldly.

"It… it wouldn't make sense." Perfuma whispered, puzzled.

"Exactly, it wouldn't make sense because it's not the truth." Angella declared.

But before anyone could speak another word, a new voice joined the council.

"You're wrong."

Everyone turned around and noticed Adora standing behind the meeting's table. Glimmer and Bow were at her sides, determined expressions adorned both of their faces.

"Adora… Glimmer… Bow…" Angella whispered, dumbfounded.

"You're wrong, and I'll prove it to you." Adora spoke, and before anyone could do anything, the blonde took a bowl of water and a strange, glowing vial from behind her back.

Adora dripped the content of the vial into the bowl, and a strange mist began to overflow from it, enveloping the entire room into a vast, grey nothingness which slowly mutated into what Angella had hoped never to see again…

"Oh… Katrina…" Angella whispered, her voice trembling, as she covered her mouth with both of hands.

That didn't prevent the princesses from hearing her sob.

**I'm baaaaaack! Did you miss me? So, the exams are finally over, I got my degree in psychology and I'm super happy to return to my story, expect new chapters to come out soon. Now that I'm free I'll finally be able to dedicate more time to this fic. I hope you enjoyed this new chapter, let me know what you think about it in the comments and as always, I'll see you in the next chapter! To infinity and beyond! (Yes, I just saw Toy Story 4 and I tell you, it's the best one of the entire saga, gosh I loved it so much!)**


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